


Battle of Hogwarts: Beginnings of an End

by Cinderpelt09



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Fan Characters, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26013319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinderpelt09/pseuds/Cinderpelt09
Summary: As the walls of Hogwarts start to fall down, Ari is left in the middle of one of the most monumental battles in the Wizarding War. Will everything be the same by the battle's end? No. But will those she cares about make it out alive?DISCLAIMER: A lot of the characters featured in this are OCs! Mine make up a majority of the cast, but I also had the opportunity to feature Rey Winchester in my work, an OC from the amazing artist Drew Winchester on both Instagram and Twitter! Highly recommend you check her out!
Relationships: Arianna (Ari) Minako/Luis Cornstell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Battle of Hogwarts: Beginnings of an End

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Rey Winchester and the Battle For Hogwarts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935992) by [Huffle_puppy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huffle_puppy/pseuds/Huffle_puppy). 



As students began to file out of the Great Hall to seek asylum outside the castle walls, Ari remained seated at her House’s table, wand still at her fingertips. Slytherin’s table was completely cleared out, Hufflepuff had a considerable number stay behind, and half of Gryffindor stayed seated. So large a number, in fact, that McGonagall had to chide a pack of younger students to join the evacuees. Compared to the others, however, her House’s numbers paled in comparison. Only a scarce few remained. 

Looking farther down the table, she immediately noticed the stark white hair of Bianca, joined by the outlines of Luna Lovegood, Terry Boot, Cho Chang, Anthony Goldstein, and Padma Patil. The other two tables held many more familiar faces. LVDR (minus Rose), William, Karina, and…. Ari’s eyes widened slightly as her eyes met Luis’, though she didn’t feel surprise as she thought she would. He sat there with Corden, who didn’t even seem to be registering what was going on. Just looking on as if in a daydream. McGonagall’s voice fell on deaf ears as Ari processed the fact they stayed behind, but that silence was quickly broken as Bianca gently pulled her shoulder and spoke. 

“Ari, c’mon. We’re in Lupin’s group, let’s go get instructions.”

Ari looked up at her blankly before nodding. “I’ll join you in a second.” she said, getting up from the table. Bianca looked to already know what she was thinking. She glanced over at Luis, not in a glaring manner for the first time in their school career, and walked off to where Lupin stood. 

Luis got up to meet her as she made her way over, and for a moment the two simply stood there facing each other. There were no words-- or rather, too many to accurately convey. Instead, they buried themselves in each other’s embrace, and Ari could feel the wave of raw emotion wash over her. She wanted to ask him so many questions: why he stayed, if he was sure about this… but she already knew the answer to them. In truth, it was only out of panic that these thoughts ran through her mind.

She was scared. So, so scared. Scared of what was to come. Scared that she’d never see him again. That this would be the last time they spoke. That this would be their final memory together. Luis must have felt it too; the uncertainty, the fear, because he only hugged her tighter. “...Stay safe. Promise me.” he said, his voice trembling despite efforts to do otherwise. Ari simply nodded, though she knew she couldn’t actually promise, knowing her voice would do the same if she tried to speak. Finally breaking apart after a few more moments of silence, they shared one last look before splitting to their individual groups. 

Bianca, Lupin, Viridian, and several other students were waiting for her, and as more joined after saying their goodbyes, Lupin looked over their faces. Almost like he was trying to commit them all to memory.

“That’s everyone?” Lupin asked. The group nodded; there were no stragglers left in the Great Hall who had yet to be sorted into a group. “On with business then. Our first destination is the castle grounds, where we shall face the Death Eaters head-on.” This caused several students’ faces to be stricken with horror, to which Lupin quickly added:

“Worry not over our numbers; we will be joined by professors and alumni alike on the battlefield. Our objective is simply to keep the Death Eaters from breaching the castle walls- we will assist other groups or fall back as necessary.” 

“Now, are there any questions? We are running on limited time, so make it quick.”

“What if one of us is injured?” Viridian asked. 

“Madam Pomfrey will still be working from the Hospital Wing unless things worsen. If that happens, join one of the tower groups or make your way to the Great Hall. We’ll cover you.”

...That didn’t account for those left behind. 

They didn’t have time to protest however, as Lupin checked his watch. “It’s time to head down. With me!” 

They followed Lupin down the stairs, the tail end of evacuees still visible at the entrance to the seventh floor, likely using the Room of Requirement as an exit. When they finally reached the grounds, only a few minutes stood in the way of Hogwarts and midnight. There was an eerie silence as Ari felt the wind against her face and robes. Even while braided, her hair was at the mercy of the breeze. Bianca stood tall beside her, staring defiantly at the Death Eaters beyond the barrier. Ari could have sworn she saw one or two shrink away. “Don’t panic. This’ll be just like in Duelling Club, alright?” her sister said. Ari nodded, and took in a deep breath. Right, Duelling Club. 

She was a witch.

Time to act like it.

As if on cue, the clock struck midnight. The Death Eaters unleashed a barrage of spells on the barrier, creating the holes needed for several to get through. The first wave was taken care of quickly by the Hogsmeade residents, who had come to the school after Voldemort’s announcement, but the second wave was when the real battle began. The barrier had been taken down completely in an instant, and flashes of multicolored light filled the edges of Ari’s vision. The hooded men and women came at them with a blazing fury, and though she could feel her heart in her throat, she tried her best to keep calm. Moving forward with Bianca, the two moved as if one person, stunning, disarming, and knocking back those around them. Knowing the other’s movements came to them like second nature from their days practicing together, and soon the chaos of battle was lost on her.

The fluidity was broken, however, when a scream filled Ari’s ears. It brimmed with anguish, and against her better judgement Ari looked over to the sound’s origin. One of the Hogsmeade residents had fallen still, eyes hauntingly glazed over and frozen in a look of terror. A man was crying over his companion’s body, and in an instant he was taken as well, collapsing to the ground. In this one sound had Ari’s senses truly become privy to the heartache surrounding her. This scream wasn’t the first, and definitely wouldn’t be the last. 

Bianca noticed this shattered connection and glanced over to where Ari was looking, quickly catching on. “Ari- Ari! You need to focus!” she shouted, reflecting a poorly-aimed Crucio back at the enemy. “We can’t help them now! All we can do is stay alive!” 

She was right, as always. Ari shouldn’t have let herself grow desensitized in the first place. Regaining her composure, in a sense, Ari immersed herself in the familiar rhythm yet again. One Death Eater down. Then another. And another. For every one that fell, two more seemed to take their place, and soon an ocean of hoods threatened to engulf them. Even with Lupin and the recently-added Tonks by their side, they were fighting a losing battle. Their numbers were dwindling, they were being surrounded, shouting from every direction--

Suddenly, a voice bellowed through the grounds, high above the others.

“Retreat! Join the other groups!” 

It was the former Dark Arts professor, waving his arm back toward the castle. She could hear the desperation in his shout; this was a last resort. The students and a handful of Hogsmeade residents ran back toward the main building, blocking curses as they went. Only when having to zigzag around the bodies strewn about the ground did Ari truly realize how many lives had been lost already. The ash in the air. Running back through the bridge and into the clock tower courtyard, the sisters paused a moment to catch their breath. Chaos hadn’t reached the castle interior yet, but it was sure to be right on their tails.

“Where- where are you headed?” Ari asked. “Astronomy Tower. It had one of the smaller groups. You?” Bianca asked. Though her speech was much clearer, her breath was just as labored. “I need to- need to find Luis and Corden.”

“I saw Luis in the group for our tower, might wanna check there first. God knows where Corden is.” Bianca said, brushing loose bangs out of her face. As she said this, shouting came from behind them, growing increasingly closer. That could only mean…. Lupin, Tonks… “We have to move. I’ll see you on the other side, ‘kay?” Ari quickly nodded. “I’ll see you.” With that Ari was on her own, sprinting toward Ravenclaw Tower. Pieces of the ceiling had fallen to the floor, coating the ground with rubble and dust. Her robes, once pristine, now had multiple tears from stray spells, though she herself was unharmed, aside from a few small scratches. Her heart was beating through her chest as she gradually realized they broke through the other side’s defenses. What if Luis had been injured? What if he was- 

…What if he was-

Goddammit, she was doing it again. He was fine. We promised we’d be fine. Loathe as it was to remember, her thoughts drifted to last year’s occurrence. There was a battle then. Well-- an impromptu one, but one nonetheless-- and they had both made it out alive. Like with Dueling Club, this had a familiarity to it. Just don’t let yourself be caught in the panic. The paintings had long since been abandoned, though some of their backgrounds were absolutely destroyed. There must have been an absolute frenzy to escape once the fighting started, just like with the evacuees. Students were rushing every which way to provide aid, but to her they seemed like chickens with their heads cut off. Every sense of direction they had was destroyed with the barrier. Through the Clock Tower, the Hospital Wing-- already being cleared out-- and past Gryffindor Tower. Wood was singed, statues left in disrepair, some of the knight armor sets lying motionless on the ground. But one thing remained constant throughout the areas: the distinct feeling of dread.

In between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tower, the Gryffindor group had made their move. Viridian and Delta were firing hexes and hurling potions galore down on the enemy, and while they were having a ball-- the effects of the magic spoke for itself. Some transformed into toads, others were completely paralyzed on the floor, and more still set ablaze. Luna was casting all sorts of Protego while the two had their fun, covering for all manners of curses-- save the death curse itself. Still, it was serving them well as the battle raged on, and Ari ran past.

The shouting was growing from the outside however, screams louder and more frequent. Though it wasn’t from one of their own. Rather, one of the Death Eaters’. They seemed to be darting away from the castle as fast as possible, some firing into the air before retreating. Looking up in the direction they were pointing, Ari was shocked to see Corden up in the air. Considering how often he posed a danger to other people’s lives in the air, Hooch had always kept the spare brooms under lock and key. But… of all the times to let him in the air, this might as well be the one. At least he was safe. That much was enough to put a smile on her face. 

Corden was going every which way, running on pure chaos, sending spells back at the ground at every opportunity. He never looked more alive. Friends simply looked on and observed the frenzy, letting the one-man-army do his work before redirecting their attention to the Death Eaters who managed to scramble their way through the openings of the suspension bridge. Ari fired several spells at the stragglers’ backs-- stunning one, sending another back down the forest floor in a mist of black-- not daring to slow down for one second. Especially when her route could be cut off at any time.

Ravenclaw Tower did not share the other two’s fortune, the fact becoming more and more apparent as Ari neared it’s base. Trolls-  _ trolls _ \- were fighting each other off in the distance, though one was a good foot shorter than their adversaries. In the distance she could see another group of students fighting, streaks of red, green and white illuminating the hall. Checking behind her she could see more Death Eaters on her tail, so in response she whipped around and shouted “Depulso!”, knocking one back into another and onto the floor. The third dodged and sent a flash of green her way, to which Ari had to press herself against the wall to avoid. They were almost within arms reach of her, so out of panic she let out a quick, shaky Bombarda. It hit the Death Eater square in the chest, and almost immediately they hit the stone wall and crumpled to the floor, blood slowly pooling underneath them. 

They weren’t moving. God, she just-- she just killed someone.

Her hands were trembling violently now. Even if they had been trying to kill her first--

Like the rest of the battle, there wasn’t time to process this. In an instant, she heard the shout of “BOMBARDA MAXIMA!” from down the hall, and as she turned around she was sent to the floor, not even having enough time to shield herself. A sharp pain filled her side as she was blown back, and when a glimmer of red caught her eye Ari quickly realized she was bleeding. Nothing life threatening at first glance-- no pain either-- but the explosion had made quite a mark on her left shoulder, blood already reaching the back end of her wand as she sat up. Part of the passageway’s ceiling had given way, leaving a sizable hole in its place. There was no time to just lay there. Finding her footing again, Ari ran in the direction of the explosion. Maybe she could help the others stand their ground.

Rounding the corner, she was met face-to-face with the carnage of battle, and thrust herself into it. Some hadn’t been so lucky as to avoid the falling rock, as its undersides were stained with the blood of both sides. Will and Rose, both covered in their fair share of nicks and grime, were dueling some of the remaining Death Eaters, joined by Flitwick and Karina as support. Rose must have doubled back during the evacuation, since she wasn’t supposed to be in the school to begin with, but regardless-- she was there. Flitwick, on the other hand, was clearing the rubble. He was clearly searching for something. Or…. someone.

Joining Will’s side, they stared down the faces of those they had come to know as classmates, and the former prisoners that had lined Azkaban’s walls. Then the firefight began. First the green light from the other side, then Stupefy, Reducto and Incindeo from theirs. Ari dared not use Bombarda a second time. Flitwick had the mind to quicken his searching process by using Depulso on the fallen pieces of ceiling, pelting the Death Eaters with rocks in some areas while the quick-minded turned it to powder. She noticed that after a time, however, the launching ceased, being replaced with delicately handled “Wingardium Leviosa”s. Looking back to where Flitwick was stationed, she noticed the body of a Gryffindor student peeking out from under the rubble. Deciding to fall back to assist, Ari knelt down and began to clear away the rocks.

She didn’t make the connection at first, not noticing his absence in the craziness despite Bianca saying he’d be here. It wasn’t until his face became visible that Ari knew.

It was Luis.

He was bleeding heavily from his chest, with medium lacerations to his legs. His eyes were closed and his breath was faint. Ari’s heart lodged in her throat, and quickly-- it had to be quickly-- 

“V-vulnera sanentur... vulnera sanentur... vulnera sanentur...” she murmured, almost choking the words out. Tears had come as soon as she saw his face, only overflowing more after realizing just how much danger he was in. The desperation was the only thing that allowed her to keep her concentration intact, clinging to the hope that he would be alright.

She repeated the spell, again and again, and gradually the blood seeped out from the rocks; wounds began to knit themselves to a close, and the red lessened. The wounds were almost completely healed when another explosion sounded down the hall, startling her and ruining her focus. Loud voices resounded with grief and fury, and it shook her to imagine what exactly had happened. As spiders poured out from the newly-formed hole in the bridge, Flitwick turned to Ari. “Get him out of here.”

Ari looked up from Luis’ body. “But- I can’t-” “I’ll come with you” Will said, already taking initiative by hoisting Luis up with one of his arms over his shoulder. Ari blinked, nodded, and took his other arm, together making their way to the Great Hall. This left Karina, Rose and Flitwick to fend for themselves against the masses. As the yells grew distant, louder, then distant again, Ari kept her hand gripped tightly around her wand all the while, until her knuckles were nearly white. Her limbs still ached from everything; the explosion, the constant running, all the fighting that had taken place so far, and still had yet to occur… but it was still better than what had happened to the poor souls whose bodies had been scattered about the battlefield. 

The great staircase tower was all that stood between them and the Great Hall. Students were sliding down the stairs as the glow of magic could be seen on every floor. But, how did they…? Of course, brooms-- they came through the windows using the--

Ari’s attention snapped back to what was ahead of her as a loud crash rang in her ears. Four-legged gray blurs could be seen in the distance gorging themselves on the fallen, a sight which could be easily surmised as one thing-- werewolves. As the pack got into focus, she could see their mouths and fur dyed crimson, on the prowl for anything that seemed like easy prey. 

They needed to move faster. “Will-” Ari started, but he cut her off. “I know, I see them too.” he’d already picked up his pace, forcing her into a jog to keep up. Something caught her attention as she did, however-- some of Luis’ wounds had opened up again, staining her skin red. He was starting to stir as well, groaning weakly as they moved. 

Not good. Not good. She couldn’t cast healing magic right now, that would take too much concentration. Concentration that would take too much time to grasp. And if he moved, the bleeding would only get worse--

The walls shook, and as dust fell on them she decided. There wasn’t another option. Aiming her wand at his arm, Ari knocked him out cold again with Stupefy. Will looked at her with surprise, but didn’t say a word as they pressed on. Soon enough, they passed the wall of witches and wizards and entered the Great Hall.

The House tables had vanished, replaced by sheets on raised platforms serving as hospital beds and groups of mildly to severely injured students, with the few bodies retrieved from the chaos lying near the middle of the room. Madam Pomfrey was scurrying about with only two students as help, seriously undersized compared to those who needed to be treated. Setting Luis down on one of the available platforms, Ari took a moment to evaluate before deciding to take matters into her own hands. Fingers crossed, her limited medical knowledge could help her here. The gashes were not nearly as bad as when they’d found him, but left untreated…

Ari took a deep breath, and hovered her wand over his wounds. Repeating vulnera sanentur again, she watched as the wounds resumed their stitching process. At last, all signs of external injury had vanished. Of course, this didn’t account for broken bones… magic can only do so much without the aid of potions… but he was safe. He was okay.

It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. This had been her worst fear, and it nearly came true. Ari knelt down and rested her head on Luis’ shoulder, suddenly feeling exhausted. Another explosion shook the walls, but she barely felt it as the dust settled. Will eventually came back to the two with Madam Pomfrey, and after a quick examination the nurse said that he was fine, only having broken two of his ribs. No other injuries.

The nurse tried to say something else, but her words were lost on the group. Ari was filled with relief all over again, though it was quickly dashed by a distinct feeling that one could only describe as complete despair. Of hopelessness. The feeling came over them like a wave without warning… one she remembered from her third year, like it was yesterday… 

Madam Pomfrey was cut short as Ari and Will’s eyes met, thinking the same thing, and without another word dashed outside the Great Hall, evidence of their suspicions being evident in the courtyard ahead. Dementors, a hoard of them, had begun to float in. 

Spiders, dementors, werewolves, trolls…. how many more things would be thrown at them? 

Hummingbird and snowy owl bursting from their wands by command, the two spirit animals joined a small army of others, leaving wispy trails in their wake. Most of them knew the spell from their time in the DA, others simply learning it from training for their career of choice. There were still many who didn’t know it to begin with, but the number of Patronuses more than made up for the lack of extras, driving away a good majority of the cluster. The rest were taken care of by a second wave of casts, and for a moment everything was quiet.

Eerily quiet.

….It wasn’t long before a chilling voice spoke. Filling the hallways, booming out to the village below. Like he stood right beside them, while simultaneously addressing the whole area. 

Voldemort. 

“You have fought, valiantly.” he began, pausing as if to add to the tension already holding them by the neck, “Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.”

“Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss, and a waste.”

“Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately.”

“You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.”

“I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you…” 

As soon as these words found her way to her ears, Ari had begun to filter them out. 

One hour… 

Everyone dead… 

Forbidden Forest… 

Everyone… dead.

Ari looked out to the castle grounds. The deceased lay in heaps on the wet grass, death not discriminating between either group. 

So many…

She flinched as she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, turning rapidly to face none other than Will, who bore a concerned expression. Not looking at her, but her face. “Ari, we should go back to the Great Hall. You especially. Your shoulder…” 

She hadn’t even noticed. The gash had gotten much worse, blood finding its way to the ground in small droplets, falling more rapidly than before. Some of her other cuts were worse than she thought as well. The adrenaline must’ve blocked out the initial pain, but now it was pulsing through her shoulder and knees. With this newfound weakness, she could only relent. “R-right.” she stammered, now stumbling over her words. Ari looked down at her hands. Shaking again. 

Heading back to the Great Hall, the two took in just how packed with people it had become. Loud chatter filled their ears as they passed by. Survivors clung to each other, and faculty huddled in intense discussion in the corner. Will wandered off to find Madam Pomfrey, and after finding her place on the floor Ari leaned back against the platform where Luis still laid unconscious. It’d been a good ten, fifteen minutes since she knocked him out... the Stupefy had hit harder than she’d intended. 

God, couldn’t she have gotten one thing right tonight? 

  
  


Looking ahead for a brief moment to the middle of the Hall, she took in the sight of near-countless families and students grieving over the ones they had lost. Looking down at her bloodied wand, then back at Luis, she shook her head in frustration. She’d been selfish. It had been messy, sure, but at least they both made it out alive.

At least… at least she got that right.

Madam Pomfrey got to her fairly quickly, chiding her for leaving with such heavy wounds. ...So that’s what she was trying to tell her earlier. Ari nodded and quietly apologized. 

Seeing that she had adequately gotten her point across, the nurse rushed off to treat those still waiting for her. With Will having gone off to find Karina, she was left completely alone. Ari felt her eyes water as the gravity of everything hit her like a ton of bricks, tears stinging from all that had happened in such a short time. No, no… not now…. she buried her face into her knees, hoping no one could see her. This was such a dumb time to cry...

She indulged herself for a moment in the sheer insanity of the battle, before taking a brief look up and noticing a white blur approaching her.

“Oh thank god-” the blur said, before hugging her. She recognized the voice instantaneously-- Bianca.

“I can’t believe you ran straight into bloody  _ dementors  _ of all things- not to mention the other stunts I heard about from Will and Rose. I know you got training but- what were you  _ thinking _ -” Bianca’s voice cracked a bit despite her still-stoic expression. Ari hesitated a moment before hugging her back, not used to seeing this side of her. “But, you’re alive. That’s what matters. Him, on the other hand--” she said, breaking apart from the embrace to point at Luis, “--him I’ll need a word or two with.”

Ari smiled, eyes still stinging a little. “Well it’s good to see you too.” she joked, brushing away her tears. It was only after doing so that she realized there was someone standing beside Bianca. Corden was staring blankly at the two of them. Not saying or doing anything, just watching. “Oh, yeah, you’d never believe this.” Bianca said sarcastically, following Ari’s gaze, “This smart aleck got shot out of the sky, then decided it’d be a fantastic idea to jinx the broom and send it on a rampage. Don’t get me wrong, it was brilliant… until he didn’t move  _ away _ from the broom.”

Corden didn’t confirm or deny this. Honestly, not surprising. His face definitely had some scratches, and looked to be inflamed a bit from the impact; the tears on his dirt-streaked shirt practically screamed the rough experience that was rolling down a hill after falling from the air. “C-Corden, geez… you should have that looked at.” Ari said, surprised, “Here, let me see”

Getting up from the ground, Ari put her wand close to the inflammation, almost touching it. With the help of “Episkey”, the red quickly faded and the small cuts closed. Corden stared for a second before touching his cheek, shrugging, and walking off. After all these years, he still treated magic the same. Silence, brief surprise, acceptance, then walking off. 

“Do you know where everyone else is?” Ari asked, turning her attention back to Bianca, who had taken a seat next to her as she sat back down. 

“Well, Karina went off with Will, Rose went off to find the rest of LVDR....” 

As if on cue, they heard their names: “Ari! Bianca!”

Delta was walking over to them, Viridian, Rose and Luna in tow, pink eyes glowing. Dirt and dust were all over them, but Delta grinned just the same. “You guys made it out alright! Knew we wouldn’t have to worry about you.” 

To this, Rose quickly shushed her. 

“Quiet. You’re being insensitive. It’s fine to be excited, but- think before you speak.” Directing her gaze to the groups of mourners, Delta went silent before nodding. Ari could tell she was trying her best to stay positive. Rose’s words, while harsh, were necessary. “It’s good to see your faces again.” Viridian said, smiling. She’d been crying, puffy eyes serving as a blatant contrast to her makeup. Ari, while curious as to what happened, shrugged it off. In this scenario, it was better to keep your mouth shut. “Oh wait- what the hell happened to Luis?” Delta asked, seemingly just noticing his unconscious body. “Part of the ceiling collapsed on him during an explosion.” Rose said, answering in her stead.

“Damn… I’m sorry. Is he okay?”  
“He is now. Madam Pomfrey was able to look him over.” Ari said, “But wait, Rose. I’ve been meaning to ask, how did you get back to the castle?”

“Easy; I never left.” she said nonchalantly, “It’s not that hard to go unnoticed in that large a crowd, all I needed was a floor that I could easily slip away on. Lucky for me, Parkinson was making a fuss the whole way up, so I just got off on the third floor. Came back to the Great Hall after the battle started, and found myself with Flitwick. You know the rest.” 

“Um, sorry to change the subject, but we actually meant to ask you something.” Luna said, “You wouldn’t have happened to see Kaj, Reina or Ophir, would you? We ran into Daenne earlier, but she doesn’t know either. I’m sure Reina and Ophir doubled back too.”

Ari and Bianca both shook their heads. “That’s not good... they should be here by now.” Luna said, bringing her hand to her face. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Bubble Boy is just fine. Besides, you know how good of duelers Ophir and Reina are. We’ll find them soon.” Rose said.

“Yeah, yeah you’re right. Thank you both.”

“It’s no problem. Stay out of trouble once the fighting starts again, alright?” Bianca said. Delta grinned. “Those Death Eaters have got another thing coming if they think we’re going down without a fight. Don’t worry- we’ll give ‘em hell.”

“Be seeing you!” she said, waving, and on that note the group moved out.

Ari paused before speaking. “Bianca, you don’t think-” She didn’t want to linger on the thought, but...

“There’s a chance. This is... our second chance of sorts, for a final goodbye.” she said. “We’ve lost a good number already.”

“But the bridge and Gryffindor Tower were barely touched.”

“The grounds and Astronomy Tower had the worst of it.”

“Is- is it true then? Lupin and Tonks?”

Bianca nodded. “We got lucky. They gave us just enough time to get out, and even then it was cutting it close.”

“What do you suppose you’ll do once the hour is up?” she asked. Bianca looked up at the ceiling. “Join the front lines, what else? We still have to keep them away from the castle. While we can, that is.” she said, before turning to Ari. “Feeling conflicted?”

She nodded. “Not about fighting, just where I should be. My hands are shaking like crazy, what if I misfire? I already-” Ari paused. Should she tell her about what happened earlier? What she’d done? “...I already killed someone tonight, what if I do it again?” 

“Ari, both sides are aiming to kill. It’s only natural you do the same. If you don’t, you’ll be the one on the receiving end.”

“Right...”

The words didn’t sit well with her, but it was the truth. She could only spare her mental state so much.

“Hey, chin up. We’ll be right there next to you. Besides...” Bianca said, motioning to the platform, “looks like someone’s finally waking up.” 

Ari turned around to see Luis moving, sitting up to groggily take in his surroundings. She jumped up from the ground and pulled him close to her, startling him a bit in the process. “A... Ari?” Upon recognizing her, Luis immediately hugged her back.  “You’re okay-” Luis cut himself off with a wince. Seemed the pain from his ribs had found him already.

“You- you  _ are  _ okay, right?”

Ari nodded. “You shouldn’t move much. Madam Pomfrey said you fractured two of your ribs.” she mumbled, “But yeah, I’m fine. She got to me early.”

“I... I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you in time.” she added, tightening her grip on his robe sleeve as she felt the tears well up. 

“H-hey, I’m fine, you’re fine, that’s all that-” 

“You almost  _ died _ Luis! That’s not ‘fine’! If Flitwick hadn’t found you- if I wasn’t able to heal you... if you hadn’t gotten to the Great Hall...” she protested, burying her face in his arms. 

She was so sick of hearing “that’s all that matters”. She should have done better. If she did, there would be no need for such words. “You were so close to... how do you think I could even live with myself if-?” 

... _ How do you think I could even live with myself if you died?  _

The rest of the sentence died on her lips. Perhaps it was out of guilt, or selfishness that she wanted to shout these words at the top of her lungs. How could he just be okay with dying like that?? How many times would she need to say “I love you” before he knew just how much he mattered? 

“...if I lost you...” she finished, deciding to put it lighter in the end. 

All of a sudden, Ari found herself struggling to determine if this was truly reality. Was she really there with him, or was it simply a dream from the earlier explosion? It felt real… so surely it must be. Please let it be.

Luis was quiet for a long time. Ari couldn’t bring herself to say anything more, all efforts diverted to making her uncontrollable sobs as quiet as possible.

When he opened his mouth to speak, it wasn’t words of accusation or defense that left them- rather, of apology. “I’m sorry.” he said, “I- I saw what was happening on the grounds from the tower. The bodies, what  _ things  _ they were doing to those poor people-” she felt him shakily inhale. “I thought that maybe you and Bianca…”

“...I’m sorry.”

That was the reason the group wasn’t at the top of the tower? It hadn’t crossed her mind beforehand but- Luis must have gone down to try and get them when the ceiling...

Ari shook her head and looked up at him, arms now interlocked behind his neck. “No… no, you were just worried about me. I’m sorry too.” she said, “It was because of what happened down there that I came to check on you as early as I did.”

She paused, then gasped as she suddenly remembered: the time. “Bianca- how much time is left until the fighting starts again?” Ari asked, arms breaking apart and falling to her sides as she turned back.

Bianca checked her watch, and frowned. “...Fifteen minutes. Fourteen now.”

“The hour’s almost up…” she said, trailing off. What would happen then? The windows showed no trace of light, despite dawn being just around the corner. A sight that only added to her unease.

“Hour- what hour?” Luis asked, clearly confused.

“After you passed out, the oh-so-humble ‘lord of benevolence’ decided to grace us with one hour to hand over Harry Potter. That’s not happening though, so this is simply time to prepare before the battle resumes.” Bianca cut in.

“And that hour’s nearly- how long was I unconscious??”

“....About an hour.” Bianca said flatly.

“Hour and a half, actually.” Ari added, “I… had to knock you out again on the way to the Great Hall. Your wounds would’ve opened up again and-”

Ari cut herself off as she noticed Luis’ feet touch the ground, and the pain in his voice as he got up off the platform. “H-hey, what’re you doing? You shouldn’t be moving around with those fractures.” she asked, panicked. 

“I can still fight.” he replied. “But-” Ari started, but he spoke over her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be more careful this time. I promise.” he said.

“Okay, but… I’m coming with you.” 

He couldn’t shake her from this. She was too afraid of a repeat incident from the tower. He blinked, opening his mouth seemingly in protest, before closing it and nodding.

“You two are staying near the castle, no questions asked. Alright?” Bianca asked. 

“But aren’t you-”

“What did I just say.” she said. “But yes, I’m still going to be on the front lines. My point is- Luis definitely wouldn’t last in the middle of it, and you know that. So, stay near the castle where our numbers are higher. Sure, we may be smaller in size, but not to the point where you need to take that much of a risk.”

“...Okay. You’re sure?” Ari asked.

“Again, no questions. I’m positive.” Bianca said, before checking her watch again. Ari could see the faintest glimmer of panic in her eyes as she looked up. “If you’re planning on joining in we have to move- there’s only two minutes left.” There was a chain reaction from this sentence, almost as if her words had reached the entire hall. In one movement they began to filter out, all able-bodied wizards joining the fight while a small group remained to care for the yet-to-be-treated.

Getting up from the platform herself, Ari acted as a support for Luis as they made their way outside. Bianca ran ahead, no doubt in an attempt to make it to the front in time. The two had barely made it to the courtyard, however, when a chilling voice boomed over the castle occupants, stunning them into silence. Voldemort had returned to take center stage.

“Harry Potter is dead.”

“He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.”

His first sentence had already grasped the attention of the survivors, but it was what followed that truly outraged them. The steady filing out turned into a full-on rush as people were stepping over each other to get to the courtyard. Voldemort continued to speak despite the chaos, likely relishing in it despite the castle being out of his view. 

“The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There will be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family.”

“Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.”

There was a silence that spread through the crowd as they looked out over the Forbidden Forest. They were waiting… waiting for the proof he had promised. 

The wind had grown even stronger than the start of the battle, so much so that she felt like she could be swept away. As the chill nipped at her face, Ari noticed movement from the trees. Slowly, figures came into view. First two, then five, before an army of black cloaks and masks had emerged from the forest, led by someone double-- if not triple-- their size. Hagrid. 

Even from the height they were situated at, she could pick out the bruises and burns on Hagrid’s face, his tattered cloak....

….and the body in his arms.

He hadn’t just been forced the task of delivering Harry Potter to their school, but had been utterly humiliated beforehand. 

Screams rang out from the courtyard. First from McGonagall-- showing a moment of weakness she had originally thought impossible-- to the Golden Trio themselves. Then the rest of the crowd, starting out in anguish before turning into rage. Scathing words were thrown at the Death Eaters with reckless abandon, one student in particular giving them the middle finger through tears. This clearly wasn’t the turn that Voldemort had been expecting, for when he spoke next his voice brimmed with anger.

“SILENCE!”

There was a harsh flash of red light and a bang, startling the crowd back into silence. Or at least, most of them. The student from earlier walked forward and started yelling “HEY, FUCK Y-” before another Gryffindor put a hand over his mouth.

These words didn’t seem to reach Voldemort, because he continued. 

“He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself--”

Ari flinched as another bang sounded, cutting off the dark lord in the middle of his speech. Neville, likely fed up of hearing Harry’s name run through the mud, had run out from their ranks and charged, firing a stream of light toward the sorry excuse of a man. 

Chaos ensued, and a voice cut through as he was knocked down. “Let  _ go _ Seamus! Let go of me-” 

Ari turned to see Rey, Neville’s girlfriend, fighting furiously to get out of Seamus’ grip. She looked to have lunged forward to try and help, but ultimately rendered useless while restrained. Seamus didn’t respond, simply closed his eyes in a pained expression and listened to her screams as Neville’s face met the dirt. His spell had been redirected into the air by Bellatrix, much to the witch’s delight. Turning to face the crowd, she spotted Rey, and her face contorted into a devilish grin. “Aw, it’s you again!” she said, “Looks like we won’t be able to pick up where we left off. You know, killing you and all. You’ll forgive me, won’t you? As you can see, we’re a bit preoccupied.” 

Bellatrix made a small pouting expression before devolving once more into maniacal laughter. “Don’t worry, the rest of you will come later.” she said, grinning snidely. The way she talked about murder in such a casual manner sent chills down Ari’s spine. It was to be expected of an Azkaban-worthy criminal, but expectation and first hand experience were two completely different things.

The “main show” had continued through Bellatrix’s taunts. After a short back and forth between the two, Neville’s defiance against Voldemort’s arrogance, the latter spoke as Neville managed to stand. Albeit empty handed. 

“...You are a pureblood, aren’t you?”

Neville’s hands balled up into fists. “So what if I am?” he asked.

“You show spirit and bravery, and come of noble stock. You would make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.”

“I’ll join you when hell freezes over.” he said, before shouting, “Dumbledore’s Army!”

The crowd roared with approval, cheers near deafening. Rey’s came loudest of all, the biggest form of support she was able to provide given her current predicament.

“Very well.” Voldemort said, his eyes narrowing to slits that rivaled those of the snake draped over his shoulders. Ari didn’t even hear the words he spoke next, instead taking hold of Luis’ hand. She still couldn’t bring herself to look away, afraid that if she took her eyes off the scene for one second the fighting would start again. Her eyes shifted from Voldemort to Neville, and back to Voldemort again in quick succession. Though the actual sound never reached her, she brought her attention back just in time to see Voldemort mouth the words:

“...So be it.”

In one harsh swipe of his wand, the Sorting Hat came flying into view. It flopped about in a shabby, disgraceful manner before landing lightly in his grasp. Voldemort then shook the poor relic to no end, like a child taking out his anger on a childhood plaything, before simply letting it dangle from his hand in a mocking manner.

“There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts. No more Houses.” he said proudly, “The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won’t they, Neville Longbottom?”

As if it wasn’t so before, it was clear as day now. They meant to use Neville as an example. A warning. 

He froze up as Voldemort paralyzed him, spiritually having the same effect on the crowd. Nobody knew what exactly would come next. At least, not at that moment. Forcefully shoving the hat onto Neville’s head via magic, time seemed to slow down as she realized what was about to happen. 

And as each second painfully passed by, she could only watch as the Sorting Hat, the rite of passage so many undertook to find their place within the castle walls, was set ablaze atop his head.

The screams. Oh god, the screams. Each one ripping into her soul, but only lasting for a moment before they heard a cry from the horizon. As she turned around, a series of things happened all at once:

  1. Reinforcements had arrived
  2. The giants had charged at one another once again
  3. The survivors took up arms against the Death Eaters
  4. Neville had broken free of the curse
  5. The snake was dead



Wait,  _ the snake was dead- _ ?

Neville had been able to break free from the Body-Bind curse, reaching his hand deep into the flaming hat and pulling out a blade. It was only after the red shine caught her eye that she recognized it as the sword of Gryffindor. In a movement that came as natural as a flick of the wrist, Neville lopped off the great snake’s head. It was launched into the air before falling at Voldemort’s feet, the rest of the body falling limp beside it. Rey, shooting forward now that she had been released, led the survivors-- not even Voldemort could stop her now. Curses were going in every direction. Shouts sounded from both the courtyard and reinforcements, who had only just reached the site of the main battle. Centaurs, thestrals, hippogriffs-- you name it, they were there. 

Chaos reigned from above as well, the mite giant’s swinging and scratching forced the two larger ones stumbling back. To avoid becoming squashed, DA and Death Eater alike were sent running into the castle. 

The Great Hall had become the new battleground of choice, the fragile peace from before quickly broken. Madam Pomfrey was running, taking her and her assistants through the Great Hall in an attempt to reach a safer section, Protego and Expelliarmus serving as a path to deliverance.

Ari led Luis to the northeast part of the hall, and not a moment too soon; elves erupted from the kitchen like tiny demons, armed to the teeth with miscellaneous weapons. From throwing knives to cleavers larger than them, they set forth to destroy everything the Death Eaters stood for. Their kneecaps never stood a chance.

The two duels that had garnered the most attention were that of Voldemort and Bellatrix. Both were dueling multiple opponents at once, the professors taking the former while students tackled the latter. They were evenly matched however, Bellatrix having a wild smile the whole time.

Soon enough, Ari found herself locked in a duel of her own. A Death Eater had taken aim, wand pointing directly to her chest. Luis had started to move forward, but not before they got off the first spell. “Bombarda!” they yelled, and Ari barely managed to get Protego up in time. Even with the charm, the knockback from the explosion sent Ari slamming headfirst into the wall.

She didn’t get the fortune of adrenaline this time. No, she felt the pain and light-headedness as soon as she collided with the rough stone. The yelling from the back of her head drowned out all other feelings, making sliding down the wall all the more unbearable. Landing with a thud on the floor, Ari looked up through hazy eyes to see Luis frantically firing off spells. He had never been much for dueling… so why was he…? Ari struggled to get up from the cold floor, the world spinning beneath her hands. Her head ached. Her ears rung nonstop. It wasn’t a mild ringing like before either. No, the ringing was attempting to claw its way out of her head. She couldn’t hear a thing. 

But even without sound, what she could see terrified her-- the Death Eater had completely turned his attention to Luis now. Driven by panic, Ari scanned her surroundings as she saw their arm raise in her peripherals, vision honing in on a pile of shattered glass from the windows to her left. Large spots of blood were splattered near the panes, but that didn’t matter at the moment. The world seemed to focus for a split second, and that second was all she needed. Muttering “Wingardium Leviosa”, the shards were lifted off the ground and out of sight before raining down upon the Death Eater. Her aim wasn’t entirely on point though; some shards had completely overshot, missing the targeted arm. The others had landed an array of cuts with different severities, from papercut that barely grazed under the cloak to deep gash. One shard in particular found its place in the poor soul’s left eye, to which they opened their mouth to let out what Ari could only assume to be a horrendous scream of pain, interrupting the final syllable of the worst Unforgivable Curse.

The world gradually stopped spinning as she was suddenly pulled up off the ground. She found herself being supported by Luis as he spoke far faster than she could process, much less hear. “S-slow down…” she stammered. He didn’t have time to repeat himself, however. In an instant, the fighting surrounding them ceased, everyone’s attention directed to the Hall’s center as if they were under some sort of trance. 

Facing Voldemort was the Boy Who Lived-- truly living up to his name despite what they had witnessed just minutes before. He was shouting… something. She could hear faint murmurs from the crowd at this point, but the meaning behind Harry’s speech escaped her comprehension, words flying by too fast to catch. But the fury on Voldemort’s face spoke volumes, spitting venom back at his nemesis before trying to garner support from the audience. Or perhaps using them as another example of the world’s failings.

But nobody moved. Much like in the courtyard, nobody dared to draw breath, much less speak anymore as the two continued to circle one another. 

Still did Harry continue to lay out his case, still did Voldemort’s attempts to catch him off guard fall flat. The suspense of waiting for one to strike down the other was killer-- one blink and everything could be finished.

Not being able to take it anymore, Ari squeezed her eyes shut for what felt like an eternity-- waiting, waiting, waiting for something… *anything*. Any sound of movement from either side. She was clearly out of it; sound had come back, yes, but any attempt to move forward would surely send her back to the floor. When she opened her eyes again, Ari could hear the argument culminate in quick succession, with two singular spells: 

“ _ Avada Kedavra! _ ”

“ _ Expelliarmus! _ ”

As quickly as she had regained a grip on her hearing, she felt as though she was about to lose it again, the effect of the magic colliding blasting through her ears. The dawn’s light made the two blinding to look at, golden light shining on their faces and robes. Their spells collided for only a moment, but when they broke away…

The Dark Lord had collapsed to the floor.

It took a second for the crowd to register this, silence falling over the entire Hall for a moment or two, but soon enough everyone had erupted into loud cheers.

They’d done it….

They’d won.

Ari suddenly felt a wide smile spread across her face. Luis had a look of shocked joy, like a kid on Christmas day. The two relished in the moment before surrendering to the other’s embrace, sinking to the ground. Before she knew it the tears were back again. But unlike the other occasions, these were tears of joy. She felt his hand on the back of her head, but after a moment felt that something was wrong. The spinning had come back… but why? 

Her entire body felt weak now, as if the realization that something was amiss had sparked a chain reaction. She could barely move her arms or legs, could barely feel Luis lightly shaking her shoulders. Her vision was getting fuzzy, and her eyes felt like they could close at any moment. She was so tired. Why was that? Cheers were still erupting around them, but Luis’ face was now one of panic, not joy like before. Ari could make out just the tiniest bit of color on his hand as her head rested against his shoulder. Blood… and a lot of it. 

“What’s the matter? ...I-Is something wrong…?” was the last thing she remembered saying as he yelled for Madam Pomfrey.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ -Four months later- _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Light streamed in through the windows of St. David’s Hospital. The bustling people of England could be seen by the hundreds passing by below from the massive windows, some going about their day at the local mall or visiting a loved one within the hospital walls. But for Ari, today was a momentous occasion. Well-- that may be an overstatement. But it was important. She was finally being discharged. 

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey sent her to St. Mungo’s, who in turn sent her to St. David’s, their Muggle counterpart. Her father took care of the rest. Turns out, as luck would have it, that as soon as she hit the wall back in the Great Hall, the back of her head had bust open. Blood had started to drip onto the floor and soak her hair by the time the fighting was over. Add in the dizziness, floor spinning, and numbness, and you get yourself a classic case of mild head injury. Out of everyone, Luis was definitely the most worried after hearing the initial diagnosis. He already had a massive fear surrounding head trauma, and the manner in which he found out about Ari’s must have been all the more scarring. Luckily, they were able to see each other whenever they wanted. It was a comfort for both of them. A comfort to simply interact, and see they were alive and well.

Too often would she have nightmares of finding Luis’ body under the rubble… only this time, he wouldn’t be breathing. 

Too often would she wake up in tears from memories of the fallen.

Too often would she watch Voldemort slowly slaughter them just like he promised, one by one…

The nightmares were still there. But, she was healing. The world was healing.

...That’s all that mattered.

It would still take two more months to fully recover, but Ari was just glad to be returning home. She’d already stayed a whole month longer than she was supposed to thanks to her father, but now she could finally have a more permanent sense of normalcy. Even the simple feeling of wearing her usual wardrobe was a great change of pace. Her choker in particular-- walking around with her scar showing had been both an embarrassment and a stressor. 

Taking one last look around the room, Ari sighed with content before walking out of the hospital room, where Bianca was waiting in the hallway. “I’ll take that to mean you’re ready then?” she asked. She’d let her hair down for today, messy hair falling past her shoulders in waves, with some strands getting in the way of her face. Ari nodded. “Alright, we’re good to go then.” she said, heading toward the elevator. “Wait-- what about-” Ari started.

“Billing? He already took care of it, don’t stress about it” Bianca said, waving it off. “You already had a talk with your doctors about after-care, right? That’s all you’ve got to worry about then. Recovery.”

Ari paused, before nodding, following into the elevator and with the soft push of a button, watched as the doors shut in front of her. “Hey, uhm, Bianca? Thanks for talking with Dad about the whole… you know.” she said.

Bianca had been the main reason why her father had allowed him to come at any time. Otherwise, it would have strictly been limited to family members only. With how busy Bianca had been with family affairs after Ari’s admission, she’d never even had the chance to say thank you until now. “Don’t mention it. Really.” she said, not making eye contact. There were a few moments of awkward silence before the elevator doors opened once more. “I’ll be waiting in the car, okay? Give you two a few minutes.” With that, Bianca stepped out of the elevator and on to what was waiting outside.

As soon as she made eye contact with Luis, Ari had run over to him. It had only been a few days since they saw each other last, but those few days were far too long. Greeting him with a small peck on the cheek, she looked up at him with a smile. “Hey! I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?” 

Butterflies fluttered to no end, but that wasn’t an issue. 

Luis shook his head. “N-no, not at all.” he said, visibly nervous, though after a moment forcing himself to relax. Sliding his hand into hers, he returned the smile. “You ready to go?” Ari knew better than to question him at this moment, instead electing to nod, and began to lead him out of the hospital. The electronic doors opened as they approached, and the two steadily walked into the bright light of the world outside.

**Author's Note:**

> This took me a while to write, and even longer to do the pieces accompanying them. In the end however, I decided not to include the additional illustrations because I wasn't proud of how they turned out. Regardless, hopefully this was enjoyable! Thanks again to Drew Winchester over on Instagram/Twitter for allowing me to use her OC Rey in a small cameo!   
> Go check her out, her content is absolutely adorable and a wonderful source of inspiration for myself and others.


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